Growing up as a child of Korean immigrant parents, Robert Lee experienced hunger first hand. There were times where all his family could afford was instant ramen.

While studying at NYU’s Stern School of Business, he joined a campus organization that delivered leftover cafeteria food to local homeless shelters. It was there that Robert learned that one in six Americans struggle with food insecurity. Yet strangely, 40% of food in the US goes to waste.

After graduating, he worked for JP Morgan where the pay was high. Simultaneously, he started the nonprofit organization Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and ran it during the weekends and evenings. As a social entrepreneur, Robert worked doggedly. “If something is important to you, you make time. And you do it,” he said.

Eventually, he quit JP Morgan so he could work for Rescuing Leftover Cuisine full time. People discouraged him, thinking he would regret leaving such a lucrative job. Yet he persisted: “I had this crazy belief that I was right and everyone else was wrong.”

At first, the NGO had very little resources and faced rejection after rejection when speaking to the local restaurants. Robert was full of self-doubt. “I wasn’t sure if I was the right person to be leading the organization,” he said of his early days. Only five out of a hundred restaurants were willing to donate their leftover food. Yet after each rejection, Robert Lee repeated a mantra to himself: “For every no that you get, you’re one step closer to a yes.”

Robert Lee’s original vision was to end food waste in New York City. Soon, the movement spread to 12 cities and the NGO is on track to deliver its millionth pound of leftover food to the hungry. Rescuing Leftover Cuisine works with partner food providers and matches them with local volunteers that carry leftover food to local homeless shelters and food kitchens. Nearly 200 cities want to start a chapter of the organization, and it’s only a matter of time that Robert Lee will accomplish that.

In 2015, Robert Lee was named a CNN Hero.

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To Robert, nonprofit organizations are like two separate businesses: one that fundraises and the other that creates impact

Unlike for-profit companies, a nonprofit cannot simply provide a great product or service. They have to market it and fundraise to survive

Earned revenue is critical for nonprofits nowadays

Restaurants pay Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to take the leftover food because the restaurants 1.) get huge tax deductions 2.) have to pay a hauler anyways to pick up the leftover food 3.) want brand association with RLC

The hauling industry is not transparent at all about prices

They charge 10-20% of what a hauling company would normally charge

At one point Robert was at an all-time low when funding was drying up and he started to feel like what he was doing was just a bandaid solution

Instead of trying to address hunger, RLC decided to focus on food waste

Robert Lee misses meeting the volunteers and doing the pickups like in the old days

As a social entrepreneur not making much money, you must create a personal budget and works towards gaining more earned revenue

Robert does not waste time in the morning so he can use his fresh mind’s energy towards his three most important tasks for the day

For Robert Lee “Sleep is the best medicine” to fight burnout

Robert Lee enjoys hiking and kayaking

Robert Lee is afraid of growing too quickly

It was difficult for his parents to see Robert leave JP Morgan because they had sacrificed everything for his future